ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris said Monday the team name is not changing.
Harris said the name is here to stay after inheriting it when he and his group bought the team from longtime owner Dan Snyder in 2023.
“I think it’s now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we’re going with that,” said Harris, who also owns the 76ers and the New Jersey Devils. “Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It’s really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.”
The Commanders reached the NFC championship game in quarterback Jayden Daniels’ rookie year, exceeding expectations in the first season in charge for general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn.
Harris, who grew up as a Washington football fan, had previously said upon taking over that the team would not be going back to its old name that Snyder dropped in 2020. Aspects of the team’s history, including old uniforms, could return, and it’s unclear if there would be a new logo.
“As far as rebranding and bringing [back] our past, which obviously I grew up with and all the Super Bowl championships and our future together, you’re going to see us head back towards honoring our past and bringing it together with our future,” Harris said.
Asked multiple times about a new stadium, Harris reiterated that talks are ongoing with Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. In August, he said 2030 was a “reasonable target” for opening.